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‘Burning Records Won’t Save Obuah From Appeal Court Ruling’ …APC,Orashi People Condemn Blasts
Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Abraham Yiljap (left), with the General Manager, Nigeria Standard Newspaper, Mr Jonathan Ishaku, during the inspection of the media house and the State printing press in Jos, yesterday.
The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in Rivers State led by Chief Godspower Umejuru Ake has said that the torching of court records at the State High Court at Okehi, Etche Local Government by suspected arsonists, will not hinder the expected ruling on January 15 by the Appeal Court in Abuja on the disputed leadership of the PDP in Rivers State.
The party asserted that except the arsonists would also burn the Appeal Court records, the fate of Messrs Felix Obuah and Ibibia Walter who parade themselves as Chairman and Secretary of PDP, respectively, in stolen mandate, would be decided.
In a statement yesterday, signed by the Rivers State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, in Port Harcourt, the Ake-faction of the PDP described as unfortunate the resort to destruction of judicial evidence by those it said were jittery at the reality of the tide of proofs against their falsehood and forgery.
“Afraid justice would soon slap them in the face over their treacherous, deceitful and false claims to the offices of the Chairman and Secretary of the PDP in Rivers State, Obuah and his cohort, with age-long penchant to violence, lies and brigandage, resorted to their latest option just to hold on to power no matter how illegitimate. We would prefer they allowed the Appeal Court decide their fate rather than engage in self-help of this magnitude, obviously couched in shame and opprobrium,” the statement added.
The Ake faction, however, said its members were not surprised that Obuah and his followers would descend so low in their search to evade justice, questioning the basis for their fear when after all, they had claimed the party delegates had elected them into the respective offices they stole by deceiving an Abuja High Court. “We wonder at their fear when they had claimed in the High Court that they were duly elected Chairman and Secretary by party delegates to the State Congress held on March 17, 2013,” the PDP queried, adding that lies may endure for a day, but truth lives forever.
While urging the party faithful to continue in prayer for the total restoration of the mandate freely given to Chief Ake and Barr. Adokiye Oruwari as Rivers State PDP chairman and Secretary, respectively, by the party delegates on March 17, 2012, the statement further called for vigilance on their part “as enemies of democracy may not rest from their desperado mission.”
“We call on party faithful to remain vigilant and prayerful as enemies of democracy and Rivers State may not rest in their desperado mission. But we trust in the power of the living God to give us the victory,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the bombing of Ahoada and Okehi Hight Courts in Rivers State.
The party in a statement yesterday accused members of the Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)in Rivers State for allegedly being responsible for the bombings, as they urged the police to carry out thorough investigations into the two bombings.
The statement signed by the Media Assistant to the state Chairman of the APC,Chief Chukwuemeka Eze said the extension of violence to the judiciary in Rivers State by the PDP and their agents began assuming a dangerous dimension after Justice Wali of the Ahoada High Court granted an injunction on December 16, restraining the member representing Ogu/Bolo in the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA), Hon. Evans Bipi from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“A few hours later, the court building was bombed by suspected PDP members/agents”,he said.
According to the statement,”On the night of Sunday, January 5, elements suspected to be members of the PDP bombed an Ahoada High Court building. Less than a week earlier, the PDP had widely circulated a press release signed by the PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, claiming that the governor of Rivers State was trying to use the same Ahoada High Court to protect the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd – a claim that is vexatious, malicious and patent falsehood”.
“As this press release by the PDP is being published, the Ahoada High Court complex is cordoned off by the police because of two objects confirmed by the police to be bombs planted in the premises.
The truth is that these bombs have been planted by the PDP, Evans Bipi and their agents to prevent the sitting of the Ahoada High Court for the hearing of arguments on interlocutory injunction barring Evans Bipi from perpetually parading himself as Speaker of the state Assembly.
The statement added that rather than file his papers and argue his position in court, Evans Bipi and his PDP cohorts resorted to intimidate and prevent the court from sitting through planting of bombs at the court premises.
Eze in the statement narrated that, few days ago, six individuals reportedly linked to two PDP chieftains were arrested on their way to Ogu/Bolo with seven AK-47 assault weapons by men of the JTF.
This he said, had confirmed the party’s worst fears that the PDP had resorted to the use of terrorism as official party policy.
“We have every reason to strongly believe that the arrested armed men are part of the ruthless snipers PDP is alleged to have trained for use against political opponents”, he noted
The party, however, expressed surprise that despite all these acts of violence against the judiciary by suspected members of the GDI and PDP, the Rivers State Police Command and other security agencies in the state were yet to make arrests.
The party appealed to the relevant authorities to intervene and compel responsible security agencies to undertake their constitutional responsibilities of securing lives and properties of citizens and residents of Rivers State by promptly arresting, investigating and prosecuting all those involved in the current spate of violence across Rivers State.
Similarly, the Council of Orashi Ethnic Nationality (COEN) has condemned in strong terms, yesterday’s orchestrated explosion in the Ahoada High Court, warning that it will resist any attempt by desperate politicians to make the area prone to violence.
The Council Director, Media and Publicity, Ndu Nwobosi who disclosed this while reacting to news of the explosion, also called for the sack of Media Adviser to Rivers State PDP Publicity Secretary, Jerry Needam, over what he described as incompetency.
He noted that Needam had demonstrated inconceivable penchant for trivializing serious issues and playing on public sensitivity with a view to creating chaos in the name of politics.
“Jerry Needam does not have what it takes, to determine what constitutes credibility and integrity. He believes in distorting the truth; the earlier he leaves, the better the chances of PDP if at all the people will allow that”.
Nwobosi decried a situation where a once peaceful state and investors haven was now turning into a den of militancy because of the desires of Oga and Madam at the top.
“Must everybody run away or die because somebody is seeking re-election in 2015? If we are killed who will vote, maybe there are plans to rig; all we see today is arm twisting, explosion, intimidation and cheap blackmail instead of development” he declared.
While reiterating his support for fairness and justice in the determination of the legal tussle over the Speakership of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Nwobosi advised the people of Orashi not to submit to plans by fiendish politicians, who were out, to line their pockets at the expense of development.
He hailed the Ogoni people on the successful staging of the 21st Ogoni day celebration describing it as the best in recent time. “The large crowd at the event shows that the Ogonis are willing to speak with one voice on issues that concern them; this spirit must be encouraged by all Rivers people no matter the ethnic group or party affiliation”.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.